Sugar Free Berry Jam

Name: Sugar Free Berry Jam
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 cup frozen raspberries; ½ cup frozen blueberries; ½ cup frozen cranberries; ⅓ cup packed pitted medjool dates; 2 tbsp lemon juice; 2 tbsp whole chia seeds

Print recipe

Spring, Summer, Winter, Canadian inspired

OF RSF GF NF

30 mins Prep: 10 mins Cook: 10 mins Cooling time: 10 mins

Serves 10

Naturally sweetened with dates, this chia jam is a staple in my household. It is great on toasts, with pancakes, with oatmeal and so much more!

Ingredients

1 cup frozen raspberries
½ cup frozen blueberries
½ cup frozen cranberries
⅓ cup packed pitted medjool dates
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp whole chia seeds

Recipe

Step 1
Add frozen berries, dates and lemon juice to a medium saucepan and melt the berries over high heat, stirring every minute or so.
Step 2
Once the berries have all melted, bring the mixture to a boil then, decrease the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.
Step 3
Take off the heat and let cool for 10 minutes.
Step 4
Add to the mixture to a blender and blend until smooth.
Step 5
Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl, incorporate the chia seeds and refrigerate.
Step 6
Enjoy on toast, with oatmeal, yogurt or use in recipes.
Step 7
Keeps in the fridge for up to two weeks.

Common Questions & Swaps

Feel free to use any berries you have on hand. I have tried this jam with only 1 type of berry and with up to 4 types of different berries and all of them came out delish! Just make sure to use 2 cups of berries total.

Sugar Free Berry Jam being scooped out with a spoon

A couple months ago, I was watching a short documentary on food and I learned that, in Canada, for a jam to be called jam, it has to contain at least 50% of sugar, or else it would need to be called a fruit spread.

This translates into up to 10 grams of sugar per tablespoon (the recommended serving size). I realized that this meant that every time I spread a generous layer of my favourite berry jam, I was basically eating 2 teaspoons of plain white sugar!

You might say, we’ll it’s not that much sugar, it’s not that bad… Of course, eating 1 tablespoon of jam occasionally will not have an irreversible effect on your health or anything, but when you have a PB&J toast almost everyday, that tablespoon of jam adds up to 14 teaspoons of sugar (or almost 1/3 of a cup!)

I doubt any of us could eat 1/3 cup of plain white sugar in one sitting if we were asked to…

If you are reading this and wondering ok so now, how do I get to enjoy my favourite berry spread without feeling like I am basically eating a dessert?

My solution is simple: dates!

Sugar Free Berry Jam being scooped out from the jar

As mentioned in a previous blog post, dates are not only suuuuper sweet (they are made of 80% sugar – the natural kind), but they are also packed with vitamins, minerals and FIBER, unlike the white sugar used in traditional jam that has zero nutritional value.

Making this jam is so simple, you would not believe it & the result is so tasty that I promise you will not even be tempted to go back to eating traditional jams!

This sugar free berry jam has the cleanest ingredient list you will find. No added preservatives, no colouring.

All natural.
Sweetened only with dates.
Using only whole food.
Rich in fibre and antioxidants.

If you want to give fruit-sweetened spread a try, please do; I know you will absolutely love them! And if you do end up making it, share it on social media and tag me (@muriellebanackissa).

Have a wonderful week my friends!